Body for Life

Body for Life Challenge- Round 1, 1/7/08-3/30/08

2008-03-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

When a co-worker came to me with the idea of competing in the Body For Life Challenge, I was receptive and fancied the idea of a good challenge. The thought of the required commitment was a little intimidating but I felt as if it was time to add another chapter to my life transformation. In three years I had lost 60 lbs strictly from running 5 days a week and watching what I ate which at the time mean not over-indulging on a regular basis. Although all this weight was gone, my clothes fit better and I felt much like a new person, I was by no means fit but rather a "skinny fat guy". At 6'0" tall and 185 lbs, I still had a gut and little muscle tone in my upper body.

After several temporarily successful "fad" diets I peaked at 245 lbs nearly 4 years ago. Like many, I have struggled with weight loss for much of my adult life, which was a somewhat foreign environment for me after grown up a relatively skinny, active kid. In 2004 my second son was born 12 weeks premature and as a result had to live on a breathing machine. This being a very trying time for our family, I found myself running more on a regular basis as I felt that it wasn't fair that I had two healthy lungs and my son had none so I had better put mine to good use. Running served as an emotional outlet as well which I never realized the therapeutic potential of so much until after my son left this world at 7 weeks of age. The year following our tragedy would prove an emotional test, which we eventually overcame. I can honestly say that I would not have made it through this difficult period without my now favorite past time of running. While it would have been easy to go in the opposite direction, dealing with loss by overindulgence and recklessness, I knew that I needed to ride this emotional wave out using the most positive tools available to me in order to get back on track for my family as well as myself. Two years later, the bulk of the extra weight was gone but not all of the fat. This time the weight would remain off as my fitness continued, eventually shifting from running to cycling 8 miles to work and back home each day.

In October 2007, a co-worker with experience as a personal trainer, approached me about weight training. This sounded like an interesting idea and much like what I needed, until he explained the Body for Life Challenge, which really got my attention. In the weeks to come I learned more about the Body For Life Challenge through the Body for Life website and Bill Phillips book and I was astonished not only by the before and after pictures of past competitors but by the philosophies of the program that echoed my personal fitness shortcomings, like weight training and a diet that made sense. For quite some time, I had known and said that I needed to change my eating habits but was afraid to commit to a diet due to past experiences with fad diets. I had always heard others refer to diets as more of a "lifestyle change" but such a term never really appealed to me until I learned of the Body for Life nutrition program. The prospect of six meals per day and one free day each week was all I needed to get on board with this lifestyle change.

After a month of unexplained lower abdominal pain that my doctor could only guess may be due to an acid problem, I began my challenge on January 7, 2008. My initial weight saw me at 194lbs, no discredit to the abundance of goodies within my reach throughout the recent holiday season; my body fat 25% and my still unfit waist at 40". Following the program, I immediately found myself much more energetic despite having weaned myself of coffee a week prior and within days that pesky lower abdominal pain was gone. My first free day saw me making two meals out of a cheeseburger and onion rings that would have been an easy meal, if not an appetizer just a week before. And would you believe that after what turned out to be a rather disappointing inaugural free day, I found myself sluggish and not as thrilled as I expected I would be? This taught me that even though you may choose to take a free day, it is in your best interest to keep up on your protein intake and try no to overdo it on anything, especially carbs. Throughout the entire challenge, I supplemented my post workout meal with EAS Vanilla 100% Whey Protein mixed with a serving of Phosphagen and 100% natural Orange Juice, making for an very good vanilla creamsicle-like drink. Evenings saw my last meal normally, a Chocolate shake concocted of EAS chocolate protein powder, skim milk, and frozen fruit. I was sure to keep Myoplex bars and EAS Advantage bars on hand for emergencies.

Within three weeks, I saw 2 inches gone from my waist and 10 lbs of scale weight out the door. Every day in the gym, I saw myself grow stronger and learned the importance and fundamentals of weight training. Weight training was nothing new to me however, successful weight training was as past stints with weight training yielded little to no results for me which I have come to learn were do mostly to mental strength and willpower. I had heard the old adage of "No Pain, no gain" and up until I started the Body for Life just thought it to be another lame, mainstream saying and while lame it may be it is truly that simple. This challenge has taught me that sore muscles are not necessarily a bad thing. A sore (uninjured) body to me, now means that the training is working, it's gotten to the point where I almost crave soreness on post workout days.

The cardio side of the challenge came easy to me for obvious reasons previously stated. In the beginning, I parked my bicycle, careful not to over-train, out of concern of burning muscle or placing too much stress on my body. I began the challenge riding a stationary bike in the comfort of my family room, which despite the comfort felt foreign to me. Prior to this my normal cardio required coexisting with the meteorological elements of the Pacific Northwest, which I was more than content with, adding to my list of lame clichés, "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger". I soon grew bored with the cozy, family room cardio sessions and was back to my old ways- running the streets of my neighborhood, which seemed to yield better results in regards to fat loss. A little more than halfway through the challenge, my passion for cycling overcame me and I decided to curb the car get back on the bike, careful to take it easier on non-cardio days and working the cardio into my commute on cardio days. At this point, the body fat almost seemed to melt off as I saw some of the quickest and best fat loss results of the challenge.

To date I have lost 24lbs of scale weight, 15% body fat and 6 inches from my waist. Around week 7 of the challenge, I found myself in need of proper fitting pants. I bought two pairs of pants, which no longer fit two weeks later, but I guess that's why we have belts, which by the way I had to replace for similar reasons as well. At the end of the challenge, I have met and exceeded my three main goals-
• To be in the best shape of my life by my 30th birthday
• To lose 20lbs of fat
• Change my eating habits
It seems that I have finally made that “lifestyle change” which the Body for Life has taught me goes far beyond just diet. I plan to continue the way of the Body for Life, indefinitely. This is a program that anyone can do and when followed, will yield the most positive results of any fitness program. As this program has become part of my life, I spread the word of the Body for Life to anyone who will listen- friends, family, or strangers and will continue to do so, serving as living proof that this program can and will better your life. By accepting the Body for Life Challenge, you have nothing to lose except weight and bad habits.

11

2008-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

1 week left and I am now starting to see the top of my abs, still have some gut left down lower though. I am at 12% body fat and 176 lbs. No huge changes this week to speak of, my diet has stayed relatively the same, workouts have not changed too much and no reason to as I am still seeing results. As I am writing this week 12 has started and I shaved my body hair today in preparation for the after pictures that I will take next Sunday. I also applied tanner today, Famous Dave's, which does not contain ingredients to turn you orange. I have froze my ass off all day no longer having body hair and I'm not sure that there'll be any getting used to it. Depending on this weeks weather, I may have to wear shorts just one day so I can see what all the fuss is over when it comes to cycling with shaved legs. Anyway, we're just about there. I will post my full body for life essay in the next couple of weeks, the hard part will be editing it down to fit in my packet for the challenge.

See you at the finish line!

Week 10...already?

2008-03-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, only two weeks left in this challenge and I feel like I’m just getting started. It’s been a busy week at home and work but nevertheless I have managed to stay on board. The gut continues to shrink, no abs yet but I’m more than satisfied with my success to this point. My arms, shoulder, chest and back are really starting to show definition as well as the legs. Switching back to bike commuting has done wonders for my body fat but I need to start listening to my body and be careful not to “overdo it”. I did miss Friday’s workout due to some pain in the right hamstring but expect to be back onboard, full speed for week 11.

Peace!!

Week 9-Back in the Saddle

2008-03-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

After a sick day Monday which contributed to my first missed workout, I couldn't stop thinking about cycling (for more info, click here-http://zedehkay.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-motivates-me-to-ride.html) So, Wednesday, I was back on the bike and feeling great. I have steered clear from commuting on my bike throughout the whole challenge, up until this point for concern of burning muscle or over training but it was worth a try and it has worked so far, dropping 1% of body fat in the last week while maintaining my scale weight. So I will continue to commute on my bike as it is my preference. I am getting noticeably stronger through the chest and arms as well as the legs. My new pants that I bought a couple of weeks back are now too big in the waist, it ought be a challenge attempting to find a 30-34 pant as the smaller your waist is apparently the shorter your legs are supposed to be. It's sickening to know that a few years back when my waist was larger than my inseam, it was easier to find pants but I guess that in the United States of McDonalds, retailers have to cater to the majority in order to turn a profit. Oh well, it's a small price to pay. If I have to order my pants online at least my risk of a heart attack is lower. Until next week...

Peace!

Week 8- Rising up

2008-03-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it really been 8 weeks? So, on Friday I finished my workout with shoulders, listening to "Eye of the Tiger" and I walked out of the gym looking for Clubber Lang and I assure you that at that one point in time, I could've taken him! I finished off the week sore after a not so hot leg workout on my less than efficient weights at home just prior to assembling a wooden play structure for the young 'uns, which only took 8 hours. Saturday I woke up with sore biceps and even more sore hamstrings at which point I decided it would be a good idea to sit out my scheduled run but being the stubborn one that I am decided that I would fill my ever increasing cycling void by doing my cardio on the bike. Ummmm ya, that did my legs no justice but I gave it all I could and despite sore legs, in the end it was worth it, so much that after a good scrub down (the bike, not me) I have decided that once my legs are back to 100% I would be commuting on the human powered hot rod once again. The looming talk of $4 a gallon gas prices helped with that decision but only a little. The whole family has been sick, myself included, but I have still managed to stay on the wagon here. We'll see what week 9 brings. I think that I have just about covered everything for this past week and have not really tried any new food so until next week...

Week 7- Holla if ya hear me!

2008-02-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a week and I'm one sore homie. On Wednesday "Big Poppa" Pulley invited me to work out with him on Thursday in what he described to be an intense arm and shoulder workout that could possibly put me on the shelf missing the next couple of consecutive workouts. Reluctantly, I accepted his invite as I stand learn a lot from him and as they say, What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. Well I'm obviously writing this, so I must be stronger, not only that but I have yet to miss a workout (knock on wood). My right knee is a little sore which may be due to more cardio than normal this week. Did I mention that Thursday was a double workout in which I ran in the morning and then lifted on my lunch break? The lunch session consisted of running the stack as well as pyramid-structured circuits on several arm and shoulder exercises. To top it off I was up and down on a ladder Saturday night for about two and a half hours replacing light fixtures. Needless to say, I may be seeking the services of a massage therapist in the near future to work out a few kinks but otherwise I feel great.
At the suggestion of BPP himself, I took in a showing of the documentary, "Pumping Iron" in the comfort of my own family room Friday night. I recommend this movie to anyone who is just beginning weight training, has been weight training for sometime or is looking to begin weight training. Not only is the movie inspirational, Schwarzenegger is hilarious in his natural state as a 28 year-old body builder. I cannot however, speak for the "Governator" of today.

Points of interest for Week 7:

No workout is complete without 3 particular songs from the Rocky IV soundtrack.
In my own mind, I could whip anyone in a foot race if "Hearts on Fire" is playing on my iPod.
Again, free days shouldn't be switched.

Favorite foods of Week 7:

Protein Waffles
Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Trader Joe's meatless Meatballs
2nd Breakfast- Egg white omelet with skillet fried potatoes, peppers and onions all garnished in Rojo's salsa and Frank's Red Hot Sauce.

So with week 8 approaching, I continue to learn more of my limits and push myself even further with each workout. Special thanks to BPP for not only getting me started with weight training, and the B4L but taking me through that intense workout this past week. It was well worth it!

Peace!

Week 6- We're halfway there (Whoa-oh Livin on a Prayer!)

2008-02-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well here we are, halfway through the challenge not much to mention this week other than I blew my free day on Valentines which was not my intention intially but by the end of the day on Thursday the temptation was there so I figured what the hell. It wasn't a full fledged free day by my standards anyway so from a health standpoint, that's a bonus. Anyway, not really sure what I learned this week and I didn't really try any new foods so we'll keep this short and sweet. I will say that looking ahead I plan on modifying my workout schedule starting in week 7 with Upper body on Monday, Lower body on Tuesday, Cardio on Wednesday, Upper body on Thursday, Lower Body on Friday, Cardio on Saturday and Sunday. I'm keeping on with the running as my cardio exercise of choice and I can feel it, much more effective than the stationary bike.

Peace!!!

Week 5- Still Alive

2008-02-13T19:47:00.001-08:00

Alright. One more week and we'll be halfway there. Realizing how comfortable I am in the comfort of my own home, riding an exercise bike, I decided to it was time to hit the pavement and start running again, as my knees permit. Of course I now have shin splints but I wouldn't expect anything less, I figure they'll be gone by this time next week. Feeling the effects of the run, I expect I will shed a lot more fat this way than on the stationary bike. Speaking of bikes, I'm missing my daily bike commute to work and am contemplating starting again depending on how the running works out. Either way, I will definitely be back to my daily bike commute once the challenge ceases on March 30th.

So what did I learn this week?

I missed running
I enjoy running
I need new running shirts as mine are too short now
I can't find workout pants long enough in the legs but small enough in the waist
I have become one of those "Meat and potatoes" guys

Favorite Week 5 foods-

Steak, Potatoes and veggies garnished with Stubbs BBQ Sauce and Honey Mustard
EAS Advantage Double Chocolate Protein bars
Barbequed chicken

So, week 6 is upon us and I'm expecting there will be a slight sense of accomplishment Sunday which will make for more motivation to work harder in the final half of the challenge. No Valentines day candy for me on Thursday but we'll take care of that on Sunday.

Peace!!

Week 4, 8 to go!

2008-02-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, interesting week. As of this morning I am down 11 lbs (scale weight) 3.5 inches off of my waist. I suspect that in the next week or so my scale weight will start slowly increasing due to muscle gain but we'll see.

What did I learn during Week 4?

Postponing free day until Wednesday didn't agree with my body. Monday, I came home early from work with diarrhea and a headache.
Ballet squats hurt.
I am grateful to the inventor of sugar free cough drops
The Olive Garden is a nice break on your free day

Favorite Week 4 foods/supplements:

Asian Beef and Noodles
Whole Wheat French Toast and Scrambled Eggs with Organic Peanut Butter and Sugar Free Syrup
Green Tea and Blueberry Whey Protein Smoothie
Chai Spice Yerba Mate

So, with 1/3 of the challenge behind us things are beginning to shape up nicely. My gut is getting smaller, almost by the day and I'm looking more toned especially through the shoulders, chest and upper arms not to mention the legs, according to my wife. We'll see what week 5 brings...

Week 3

2008-01-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, not a lot to say here. I'm definitely seeing physical changes and all is well. Not a whole lot new to report. What did I learn in week 3?

My legs are capable of much more than I have given them credit for.
Baked apple and cottage cheese = Yuck
Use your cottage cheese wisely.
Even on a diet, I can't seem to keep peanut butter in the house.
Kirkland Cinnamon from Costco is the best damn Cinnamon I've ever had.
Sugar free syrup is a lot better with a tablespoon of peanut butter on your pancakes.
I'm starting to make peace with the dumbbell lunges

Favorite Week 3 Recipes:

Protein pancakes are still a savior
Can't beat the Fuji Apple and Cottage Cheese
Orange-Creamsicle post-workout shake (Vanilla Whey Protein with Orange Juice)
Tacos with Ground Buffalo

That's about it. So on to week 4, I'm postponing free day to Wednesday this week so we'll see how that feels. Anyway...

Week 2 In The Bag

2008-01-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

Two weeks down and like 10 to go or something but that's just for the challenge. I see no reason to quit this routine once the challenge ends. I wouldn't really consider this a diet, or rather may consider this a diet more than any fad diet as I am not starving or consuming massive amounts of protein and depriving myself of carbs and I can really see myself living my life this way on a more permanent level.

So what can be said for the workout portion? I love it! The weight training is great and I am really starting to see a change. For anyone who ever thought that weight training wasn't for them or didn't work, I can speak from experience when I say that you either weren't doing it properly or not lifting enough weight. If you're not straining to get that last rep up then that's not enough weight for you. I'll be honest, for me, weights suck in the beginning- getting used to new exercises, using muscles that you feel as if you never knew you had, and the soreness! Once you get into your routine, the soreness is nice as it gives you piece of mind that you are really doing something and it's never as bad as the first couple of weeks.

This whole free day thing is getting to be less and less important (we'll see what I'm saying around week 6) I mean, I guess it's cool to eat what you want but it's not cool to feel like crap even when you don't overindulge.

So, let's see what have I learned this week?

Creatine really works and is still not a steroid.
Forgetting your bag that holds your change of (work) clothes for the day may hinder or (in my case) suspend your morning workout.
This program is really for anyone. (consult your doctor if you have legitimate medical problems that don't include hypochondria, laziness or wussititis)
I don't think that protein bars agree with me.
Dumbbell lunges don't suck as bad as they did last week but I'm still not in love with them.
Cycling (for exercise not commuting) in 32 degree weather is a hell of a lot harder than running in 20 degree weather. If I keep that up I'll have to wear goretex gloves and invest in a mask of some sort.
It's kind of hard to write this when my cat won't get off of my lap.

Favorite week 2 foods:

Turkey Chili
Turkey Sammich on wheat with lettuce, dijon, lowfat mayo, pickles, onions, pepperoncinis, and a little part skim mozzarella
Chocolate-Raspberry-Peanut Butter shake
Orange cream-sickle post workout Whey Protein Shake
Costco Fuji Apple (the best ever!) with Cottage Cheese
Protein Pancakes

So the saga continues, I feel good and plan on trying some new grub this week so we'll see how that goes. Thus far, I've lost around 6 lbs and an two inches from my waist. I'm down to only a couple of pairs of pants that don't completely try to slide off my ass every five seconds and all my long sleeve shirts are continue to grow closer to the 3/4 sleeve mark but fortunately all jackets still fit. I'm trying to hold off on buying any clothes until this challenge is over so we'll see how long I can hold out.

ONe Week Down 11 to Go

2008-01-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

Looks like I've successfully survived week one of the Body for Life Challenge and a wiser man am I . So what did I learn in week one of the challenge?

Lets see, first off eating smaller portions is great when you're eating 6 times a day however even when you're as carnivorous as I, eating a portion of protein 6 times a day can be a challenge itself. Thankfully we have protein powder and because of protein powder we have protein shakes.

Second of all, Cottage Cheese is one diverse mofo! To quote Kenny Rogers, "I was raised on the dairy, b*tch!" (dairy products that it). It was cottage cheese for me, every night growing up but I had no clue that you could put cinnamon in it and eat it with an apple and have it taste so damn good! Also, did you know that lowfat cottage cheese, fat free vanilla yogurt, sugar free/fat free cheesecake pudding mix, grapenuts and strawberries mixed together tastes just like cheesecake? True story. However, I will recommend that you not attempt mix cottage cheese in your oatmeal and eat it!

Third, no matter what your mom tells you, creatine is not a steroid and if you accidentally take too much of it your body will just get rid of it with tens of trips to the bathroom. Make sure to drink lots of water too, you'll get dehydrated. Oh and if you decide to make a trip to the store in this state beware that side-effects may include chewing out other customers who insist on blaming customer service cashiers for ridiculous store policies, indecisiveness and fatigue.

Fourth, the concept of a free day is a great one as is the actual free day itself but don't make plans for what favorite foods you plan on consuming that day. I never thought I'd see the day when a quarter pound burger and onion rings turned into two meals for me but in one week that day seems to have come. Sure, I could have powered the whole meal down but misery wasn't on my agenda for the day.

Fifth, dumbbell lunges suck!

Finally, I suck at cooking and have passed the torch to my favorite chef, Jenn.

Here is a list of my favorite week one foods:

Breakfast Burrito
Green Salad with Chicken Breast
Garlic-Lime Steak
Cheescake-like concoction
Chocolate-Peanutbutter Shake
Sweet Potato with cinnamon
Apples and Cottage Cheese with cinnamon.

All around, I feel better and have much more energy. I have quit coffee by choice, not as part of the diet and have also cut down on my tea consumption. So all is well. I do miss cycling to work every day but do not miss riding home in the dark and having to contend with idiot, psycho motorists. I think I'll hold off on cycling to work until the challenge is over and then go back to my full time schedule. I can already see a change in the definiton of my upper arms and shoulders, my long-sleeve shirts have become a little short in the arms, I guess that this would be a downside to weight training when you have monkey arms like mine but there's a simple solution, It's called short sleeves and when your arms have been puny your whole life it's hard to see a downside to them getting bigger.

Peace!